Northern California, which lost its MLS club to Houston after the 2005 season when the San Jose Earthquakes moved to Texas and became the Dynamo, will welcome back a reincarnation of the Earthquakes for the 2008 season, according to the San Jose Mercury. The Mercury and the San Francisco Chronicle reported that MLS Commissioner Don Garber will make an announcement in Wednesday's state-of-the-league address in Denver (site of Thursday's All-Star Game) that Oakland A's owner and developer Lew Wolff has been awarded an expansion franchise. The new San Jose Earthquakes may play in Bay Area venues outside San Jose while Wolff and his partners negotiate with the city of San Jose to build a new stadium.

The previous MLS Earthquakes played in San Jose State's Spartan Stadium in 1996-2005 and lifted MLS titles in 2001 and 2003. The Houston Dynamo, with Coach Dominic Kinnear anda core of players who moved with him from San Jose, won the 2006 MLS title.

An expansion draft would be held following the 2007 season. Wolff and his partner, John Fisher, purchased a three-year option on an MLS franchise last year.

The addition of the new Earthquakes would raise the number of MLS teams to 14.

The original San Jose Earthquakes played in the North American Soccer League in 1974-1984. Another version of the club played in the Western Soccer League in 1985-1988.

When MLS launched in 1996, the San Jose club was nicknamed the Clash, before becoming the Earthquakes in 2000.